Colatura is considered a descendant of the ancient Roman condiment, garum, which is made from various types of fish rather than solely anchovy, as is the case with colatura. Indeed, colatura is touted as a more refined fish sauce. It can be used in similar ways that ancient Romans used garum—including as a savory underscore to meat dishes. At the famed Flour + Water in San Francisco, a rich pork dish gets a briny hit of colatura: the Garum-Braised Pork Cheeks is finished with colatura and served with fava beans, green farro, mint and hedgehog mushrooms.

Flavors on the Edge is an ongoing series that explores emerging ingredients poised to become high-impact flavor builders.